US team’s call-ups open opportunities for backups
Major League Soccer rosters carry as many as 30 players for a reason. Injuries, performance, card suspensions and national team call-ups create frequent openings.
Crew SC dealt with each one in some capacity last year, yet an announcement on Sunday that midfielder Wil Trapp and goalkeeper Zack Steffen had been called up to the United States national team for an exhibition next week against Paraguay presents a new challenge.
Trapp and Steffen will be absent on Saturday for a game D.C. United at Crew SC When: 6 p.m. Saturday TV: Ch. 53, Spectrum Sports Radio: WWCD-FM (102.5)
at Mapfre Stadium against D.C. United, ending a stretch of 37 consecutive regularseason games in which both were in the starting lineup.
“It’s a good problem to have,” coach Gregg Berhalter said. “You have two young national team players, but you give other guys opportunities and they have been working really hard for these opportunities. So I’m excited that two new guys are going to get to play.”
One position change — goalkeeper — is a move Berhalter has rarely made in fourplus seasons with Crew SC. Steve Clark started 100 consecutive regular-season games from the start of the 2014 season through October 2016, when Brad Stuver made two starts at the end of a lost season. Steffen then won the starting job before last season.
Steffen’s absence means either eightyear veteran backup Jon Kempin or second-year keeper Logan Ketterer will earn his first start with Crew SC. The battle for the backup keeper spot has been back-andforth, with Ketterer making the game-day roster in the Crew’s first two games and Kempin making the roster for the third.
“I think what we saw early on is Logan is more comfortable with our playing system and he had a good preseason,” Berhalter said. “Jon got a little sick and was working his way into it, but they both show a good level and they’ve both been pushing each other.”
Kempin has had to adjust to playing more with his feet, something he did a bit with Sporting Kansas City.
“I obviously want to play with the ball, get a lot of touches on the ball,” Kempin said. “I like it, it’s just getting comfortable with the guys, continuing to get used to playing with them.”
Saturday also will serve as a test of the Crew’s defensive midfield depth. Either Ricardo Clark, who has appeared in 338 MLS regular-season games, or Mohammed Abu, in his second year with the Crew after a lengthy stint in Norway, likely will start alongside Artur in place of Trapp.
Abu has not played for the Crew since November, when he filled in for Artur in the second leg of the Eastern Conference finals against Toronto FC.
The opportunity is there for the taking, but Abu said he is most focused on maintaining his level in training. If a start comes, it comes.
“I’m just hanging in there,” Abu said. “It’s not because Wil is out that I’m thinking I’ll play. I don’t know because it all depends on the coach and we have four midfielders, so I think (Berhalter) always does what he thinks is best for the team.”